2 N.J. school districts closed over email threat sent to staff member

Two Gloucester County school districts have been closed after an email was sent to a district staff member threatening to shoot up a school, prompting further angst in a state and country already on heightened alert.

The Franklin Township and Delsea Regional school districts are closed Thursday after authorities said they were investigating the email sent to the Franklin Township School District staff member overnight.

"We are working diligently to identify the sender of that email at this time," the Franklin Township Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.

The statement -- posted at about 5:45 a.m. on Thursday -- said parents "should expect phone calls from the school districts shortly," and that "updates on this incident will be posted when they become available."

Delsea superintendent, Piera Gravenor, said that she received a call from police in the middle of the night on Thursday telling her about the email sent to the Franklin School District staff member saying "that there would be a shooting," she said.

Though the threat was made to the Franklin School District, Gravenor said the close proximity of Delsea prompted her to close the district.

"I was sure people would think it was an overreaction," she said. "I'll take the heat for overreacting any day because that allows me to put my head on my pillow at night. God forbid something would happen."

In the aftermath of the Florida school shooting and the threats made to schools in New Jersey in recent days, Gravenor said the unfortunate reality today is that schools must be on "heightened alert at all times."

"You need to be careful what you say," she said. "I think it's important for kids and parents to talk to kids that this is not a small matter ... The inconvenience alone -- parents without childcare who work -- it's frustrating, it's aggravating. But, the most important thing is that we take it seriously every time."